Bluebasser86

Frog the top of that stuff and flip a bait into those holes, big or small. As long as that vegetation is alive it will be providing oxygen and fish will be hiding in it.

I know there is a big difference in price here but let me set up my situation here. Trying to learn deep diving crankbaits more than I already know currently. Finally got a dedicated deep cranking rod "7' 8" St. Croix Mojo Big Crankster" and now I need a reel. I was originally thinking the PQ on a BPS cranking stick but the Mojo was literally given to me so I have a little extra money to play with. If I got the Revo it would be the older model, not this years. But, to throw another twist into this my wife works at BPS so I can get the PQ for 40% off and spend the extra on some deep cranks to fish on my new combo. Everything I hear about the Revo has been good and almost the same for the PQ. I'm not fishing lakes that have a great deep cranking bite so this isn't going to be something I'm using constantly but I'm thinking maybe if I had something that fished them better I'd be willing to give them more of a try and learn them better. So what would everyone do in my situation?

Shakeyheads and football jigs for me. Trying to figure this deep cranking stuff out but it's tough when I know I can catch them doing other stuff.

A jig, chatterbait, and buzzbait are what the fish have been crushing at night here. They kill a chatterbait with all the vibration on a steady retrieve helping them to hone in on the bait.

Wow carp are usually ugly but that one is especially ugly! I've caught several catfish on pit bosses too along with some monster green sunfish and warmouth. Even caught a couple white bass and one walleye while I was reeling the bait in.

One of the other guys on here had one of the best days I've ever heard of anyone having out there 2 weeks ago despite the heat, caught them up shallow too. Tough to beat a shakeyhead this time of year, or a small craw colored tube. I usually do my best on flat rock points, usually in surprisingly shallow water, less than 8' most of the time.

I love a shakeyhead with finesse worms or a baby Rage craw in rivers. Natural colors are usually best.

I've got one spinning reel with 8lb and one with 12lb Nanofil, both have flouro leaders. I've been attaching mine with back to back uni knots and skipping swimbaits under cables and senkos under docks, pulling fish back across crossbars with no issues. The main thing for me has been to throughly check my knots before I starting to fish with it. I really like the stuff and enjoy fishing with it. I could count the number of breakoffs I've had on one hand.

What kind of bass are in the river? Water color? Slow flow or fast? Bottom comp?

If it's happening repeatedly then something in your presentation/retrieve isn't quite right. There's been several good suggestions like slowing down, switching baits, and having a throw back bait. You might try switching colors also.

Melvern is the closest place to KC with lots of good smallmouth. Milford, Wilson, and Glen Elder are all good options too if you're willing to drive further. Wyandotte is the only lake that is really close that has smallmouth. All of them have fish over 5lbs too.

You can catch fish walking a frog through open water too. My favorites are a Cavitron or Zell pop. The regular Spro frog and Spro popping frog get quite a bit of use too.

I've fished some ponds that are as tough if not tougher than big lakes too. Heavily pressured ponds with big fish turns almost more into hunting than it does fishing. I've fished some of those ponds where I'm literally trying find something they won't try to eat.

A couple months ago when my buddy and I were bass fishing with buzzbaits right at dark when a 34" muskie ate his bait about a foot from the boat, that scared both of us. Had a 5lb bass absolutely destroy a spook a few feet from the boat while I was night fishing by myself, that got my heart going. The 40lb flathead that crushed my jig this spring hit it so hard I was almost afraid to set the hook.

Man my two trips south of the border weren't nearly that productive! Awesome time I'm sure!

I try to wear natural colors, occasionally camo. Not sure that it makes a big difference in the stained water we have but it can't hurt.

I've got a Plano box for shallow/topwater, medium, and deep divers because that's all I have room for in my boat with the limit storage space. They usually look about the same when I get a bait out. I figured this was going to be a hook in hand thread when I read it.

I keep thinking about making the drive up there but haven't gotten around to it. My buddy keeps telling me it's not any good but I keep seeing pictures and hearing reports that say otherwise.

Must be a local company. You might try a Google search for bait companies based out of that area.

Good looking fish. Where'd you get it at? I've heard they're starting to release water upstream of us so I may be on the river looking for another big catfish. I finally broke down and bought a 100lb scale so maybe this time I could actually get a weight on them. Either that or I may go punish myself at Wyco. My new little honeyhole has been great for the numbers of solid 15-18 inch fish but I don't want to beat it up too bad, not yet anyways.

Wow, I caught a 36" king on heavy casting gear in Florida a few years ago and that was a heck of a fight. I bet that one had line flying off your reel.

Rods:St. Croix Reels:Shimano, Abu, and Pfluegar Line:Seaguar and P-Line Cranks:LC, luck e strike, and strike king Spinnerbaits:War Eagle Jerks:LC, Xcaliber Jigs:homemade Plastics:Zoom, Netbait, and Berkley, specifially the Havoc line up. Very few of those am I completely "loyal" to though, always looks for a better mouse trap.

1/4 for most of my fishing, 3/8 for heavier wood and water willows, 1/2-3/4 for C-rigs or the really thick stuff.

Looks like a custom poured bait to me.

I'm sending 2 of my main reels to get serviced while it's reel hot again. Get them ready to roll for when it starts to cool down and the fish start biting again. Hopefully it will work out the same way with your trailer.